Paris explosion: One person still feared buried in rubble after blast at fashion school injures dozens
Gas leak speculated as a possible cause of explosion
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Your support makes all the difference.One person is still missing and four are in critical condition after dozens were injured in a powerful explosion in a building in central Paris.
The explosion at around 4:55pm local time on Wednesday at the Paris American Academy on Rue Saint-Jacques left 37 people injured.
The blast sparked a fire that sent smoke soaring over the French capital’s monuments and prompted an evacuation of other properties, authorities said.
Officials are exploring a possible gas leak as the explosion but Paris police spokesperson Loubna Atta said it was too early to determine the source of the fire and could not confirm reports it was caused by a gas explosion.
Huge plumes of black smoke swelled into the air over the surrounding neighbourhood, but the fire was quickly brought under control.
“The explosion was extremely violent,” said Florence Berthout, mayor of the fifth arrondissement of the city, where the explosion happened.
Huge explosion rips through central Paris building
A huge explosion has ripped through a building in the French capital starting a blaze that sent smoke billowing into the air.
There are reports of seven people in critical condition and a further nine are believed to have been injured.
Emergency services respond to the scene of the explosion
Watch live: Emergency services respond to gas explosion in Paris
Watch live as emergency services respond to the scene of an explosion in Paris on Wednesday, 21 June.
Fire under control
The smell of smoke lingered in the air while the plume of smoke started to clear as firefighters battled the blaze.
At around 6.40pm local time, Paris police chief Laurent Nunez said the fire was under control.
Developing story: Seven people in critical condition
At least seven people are in critical condition after an explosion started a blaze in central Paris.
Paris police said nine other people were also injured.
The facade of a building collapsed and emergency services were working to establish whether anyone was still inside, an official said.
Chris Stevenson has the latest for The Independent.
In pictures: Emergency services respond to explosion and fire
More than 200 firefighters were involved in the emergency response and were seen hosing down buildings, and Parisians posted images on Twitter of a huge plume of smoke visible across much of the city, including over the domed Pantheon monument.
The neighbourhood, close to the Jardin du Luxembourg and the Sorbonne University, was cordoned off and scores of emergency workers filled the area.
“This is chaos,” said Christopher Gaglione, who said he witnessed the scene.
“I heard a huge explosion,” said local bar employee Khal Ilsey. “And as I was leaving the restaurant, I saw flames at the end of Rue Saint-Jacques.”
The BBC reports that the blast took place in a building that housed a design school and the Catholic education system headquarters, which was next to the Val de Grâce church.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said that initial checks of security camera footage suggested the explosion occurred within the building.
Witnesses say there was a strong smell of gas before the blast, though this has not yet been confirmed by authorities.
There are multiple reports that the building at the centre of the explosion was the Paris American Academy design school, which is popular with foreign students.
Sky News reports that two people may be missing following the blast.
Art historian Monique Mosser said: “I thought it was a bomb.” Many of the windows in her building had been blown out by the blast’s shockwave, she said.
“A neighbour knocked on the door and told me that the fire brigade were asking us to evacuate as quickly as possible. I grabbed my laptop, my phone. I didn’t even think to take get my medication.”
“The explosion was extremely violent,” Florence Berthout, mayor for the fifth district of the city, where the explosion happened.
She said four people were in “absolute emergency” condition and described pieces of glass still falling from buildings close to where it happened in the Rue Saint-Jacques.
As many as 24 people have been injured according to reports.
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